Smoothing-iron for hats.



No. 635,633. Patented Oct. 24, I899.

.l. AGAR. SMOOTHING IRON FOB HATS.

(Application filed Jan. 18, 1899.)

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No. 635,633. Patented Oct. 24, I899.

- .l. AGAB.

SIOOTHING mun ron Hus.

(Apjzlication filed 1m 19', 15%.

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WITNESSES:

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BY A M ATTORNEYS PATENT rrrcs.

JOHN AGAR, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

SMOOTHlNG-IRON FOR HATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,633, dated October24, 1899.

Application filed Januarylil, 1899. Serial No. 702,503- (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN AGAR, a citizen of the United States, residingat EastOrange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Smoothing-Irons forHats, (lac. and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enablepthersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention has for its objects to facilitate the operation ofironing hats or other articles of apparel, &c., when arranged upon ablock having convex or concave surfaces, to obtain a more uniform andperfect finish to the iron ed surface, and to secure other advantagesand results, some of which may be referred to hereinafter in connectionwith the description of the working parts.

The invention is particularly useful in connection with machines forironing hat-bodies, represented by the one shown in Patent No. 420,961,of February 11, 1890, although it is evident that the invention may beemployed with other machines and in other relations.

The invention consists in the improved smoothing-iron and in thearrangements and combinations of parts thereof, all substantially aswill be hereinafter set forth, and finally embraced in the clauses ofthe claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters ofreference indicate corresponding parts in each of the views, Figure 1 isa plan of theimproved smoothing-iron disconnected from an inclosin gcasing. Fig. 2 is a side View of the same, and Fig. 3 is a section takenat line at. Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing the device inclosed andin a condition to be constantly kept hot. Fig. 5 is a section on line y,and Fig. 6 is a section at line 2.

In said drawings, a a a indicate the ironing blocks or sections. Theseare provided at their opposite ends with perforated tongues a a, whichlatter are disposed central or in the longitudinal axis of the sections,as shown in Figs. 1 and 6. The said" blocks orsections lie side by sidein series, the tongues of contiguous sections forming recesses betweenadapted to receive the tongues of the next variations of the curves asthe hat-blockohanges its position because of the rotation thereof in themachine.

The pivots connecting one series of ironingsections with the next seriesin order are preferably of a linked chain, although other flexiblepivotal connections may be employed, such as a flexible wire, rope,cord, or the like.

At one end of the ironing-sections I may employ a wire handle or bail c,by means of which the said smoothing-iron may be suspended close to therotary hat-block of the machine, the said bail holding the end of theiron approximately in a desired plane or line and also serving to enablethe said iron to be manipulated or carried from place to place. An eye 0may be provided in the bail to enable the same to be fastened within themachine in which it is employed. A similar bail or handle 0' is or maybe arranged at the op-.

posite end of the said iron, adapted to receive aweight or spring toincrease the pressure of the iron upon the article ironed.

The said smoothing-iron may be heated in any suitable mannerfor example,the heating operation may be effected either while the iron is on themachine by means of electricity, gas, or the like, or the iron may beindependently heated by being placed upon a stove or otherheating-surface, and in this latter event the heating-surface or stovemay be especially adapted for heating purposes and may be of cylindricalor curved shape.

While I refer to the sections as irons, it is very evident that thesections may be made of any suitable metal, such as brass or the like. Y

While I show the smoothing-iron in the drawings in four series ofsections, it is evident that the said iron may include a greater numberof series, and in each series the number of sections may be multipliedor reduced in number. Furthermore, it is quite evident that the shape ofthe sections may be varied to meet varying conditions.

In connection with the sectional smoothingiron I' prefer to employ a boxor closure c of heavy cast metal, the said closure being made hollow toreceive a quantity or number of metallic balls f, adapted to press downupon the upper side of the ironing-sections, and thus force the latterwith considerable pressure against the fabric ironed. The under side ofthe said box is open to receive the collection of ironing-sections a aa, the end sections of which latter are closely pivoted at the front andrear ends of the box, as at 9, so that the said sections will not beprevented from conforming to the irregular sect-ions, as hereinbeforedescribed. The sides of the box are to some extent open near their loweredges, and thus the said ironing-blocks a. act will also be permitted toassume their positions without interference therewith.

The side openings are guarded by a series of linked side pieces h 7t h,the said links being loosely connected, so as to be free to assume thedesired positions without interfering with the ironing operations. Thebox is provided with perforated.heating-pipes 1' '5, adapted to supply amixture of inflammable gas and air to the interior of the box or case,whereby the flame may be maintained by which the box and iron are keptat a high temperature. The irons thus inclosed may be linked orconnected to the machine by any suitable means. The balls f within thebox not only serve as weights to secure the desired pressure, butdiffuse the heat and guard the ironing-sections against a direct flameand prevent the latter from passing through the joints into contact withthe hat or fabric ironed.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is- 1. As anarticle of manufacture, a sectional smoothing-iron, comprising blockshaving substantially plane under surfaces, said sections or blocks beingconnected together and free of one another to accommodate themselves tocurved or irregular surfaces, substantially as set forth.

2. As an article of manufacture, a smoothin g-iron comprising a seriesof fiat-faced ironing-blocks connected together by flexible pivots,substantially as set forth.

The improved smoothing-iron comprising a series of series ofironing-sections pivotally connected and forming a continuous smoothunder surface, substantially as set forth.

4. The improved smoothing-iron comprising a series of series ofironing-sections l1aving smooth under surfaces, each section of which isprovided at its opposite ends with tongues which are perforated andreceive pivotal connections, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with the sectional smoothing-iron of a closure andheating-pipes, substantially as set forth.

6. The improved smoothing-iron, comprising a metal box open at one side,a series of series of smoothing blocks or sectionsloosely pivoted to oneanother and to said box, and means for supplying the box with aninflammable gas, substantially as set forth.

'7. The combination of the closure, sectional smoothing-iron, balls, andheating means, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination of the box or closure open at one side and having acollection of loosely-connected ironing-sections arranged across theopening, and means for heating the sections, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this15th day of December, 1898.

JOHN AGAR. Witnesses:

CHARLES II. PELL, O. B. PITNEY.

